Biker Leather Jacket

I don't recall last year's sales were this spectacular. Right now, it's the tail end of the winter sales season and retailers are desperately trying to get rid of their old stock to make way for the Spring/Summer collection. I've picked up bargains after bargains with discounts up to 85% off and an additional 10-25% on top of huge markdown. There's also buy one at 50%-75% off and you get another sale item of your choice for free. Insane. I've stocked up Little L's wardrobe for the two years. At his parents' request, I've purchased an entire wardrobe for my nephew, Little Z at 75%-80%. With the prevalence of online shopping, it's incredibly easy to click and buy. The temptation's too great when the little ones are asleep (finally!) and you go online and shop to your little heart's content.

I've been on the hunt for a biker leather jacket for 2 years now. I've tried jackets from Acne, Doma, Vince, Ted Baker, Topshop (APPALLING quality!) and several other High St brands with no success. I can't deny I have a hankering for either a Balenciaga or Rick Owens leather jacket (I'm not fussy) but £1500 is out of my price range. I've avoided going near stores that carry them lest the temptation is too great. Anyway, while I was checking out a blog, I came across a review on All Saints leather jackets.  I've never ventured into an All Saints store because the dark and gloomy deconstructed look isn't my cup of tea. I scrambled to call them and yes (!), they have one last  motorcycle jacket in UK size 8 left at an incredible discount. The quality is astonishing considering its price point. It's made of Italian washed lambskin and lined with 100% cotton. I love that it molds to my body comfortably. Most importantly, it makes me feel like a badass rocker girl (a desperate attempt to re-live a my teenage years).

SPLURGE

Balenciaga Biker Jacket £1520

SAVE

All Saints Stanton Leather Jacket £295 now £132.75

Maybelline Liner Express

I guess I could call myself a Liquid Liner virgin. I've never bothered with eye make up unless it's for a special occasion. I don't own a single eye liner. For the past two years, I've been on a look-out for a good liquid eye liner. My girlfriend and I went and spent the afternoon at the beauty counters in Selfridges. First up, our favorite brand - Laura Mercier. Both E and I have oil eyelids and personally, I don't fancy having to put on a lashing of primer on my eyes. E tried on the eyeliner and felt that it was a little too complicated to use. In addition, it smeared within a few minutes. Very disappointing.

Our next stop was Bobbi Brown. I was duly informed by the make up artist that I had to buy a brush as the pot of liquid liner gel doesn't come with one. Anyhow, E was persuaded to give it a go. By nightfall, the eye liner was smudged right down to her lower lid. The word Panda came to mind.

While exploring the different eye liners at Boots, I decided to purchase the Maybelline Liner Express on a whim. I was seduced by the low price of £4.19. I don't have a steady hand so after much fluffing around, I managed to get a somewhat straight line across my eyelid. However, what impressed me was the fact that 1) it dried remarkably quickly  2) no smudges whatsoever even after 12 hours which has never EVER happened to me before. I still can't draw a straight line but that's easily remedied with a wet cotton bud. Available at Boots, Superdrug and selected pharmacies.

Sleek and shiny hair

In my younger days, my silky long mane was my pride and joy. Then I had a baby. For years thereafter, various hairdressers have told me that my hair was too dry. They stopped short of saying that it resembled a bale of hay. Admittedly, the first few years of dealing with Little L left me with barely any time and energy to pamper myself. I started ditching the conditioner. Sacrilege! That's not all. My skincare routine became shorter and shorter to the point where a splash of water would do the trick instead of using a cleanser followed by a quick smear of whatever cream within arms length.

Three months ago, I decided enough was enough. I was sick of my hair and skin but the latter requires another long post so I won't bother going into it today. After scouring the web for the best hair product in the market, I settled on Philip Kingsley Remoisturizing Shampoo and conditioner. It's not cheap.  A small 250ml bottle costs £11.90 and the conditioner costs a further £14.45. For the first time in years, my hair felt bouncy and soft. But then, replenishing my supply every 3 months became a costly exercise.

So I switched back to my all-time favorite which I haven't used for a million years. Good ol' Pantene Pro V Smooth and Slick shampoo and conditioner. Superdrug was selling them for £1.75 for a 400ml bottle. Would you believe it? It had the same result as the more expensive Philip Kingsley set.

I also picked up a large bottle of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer after reading rave reviews about it. A couple of squirts (or less if you have short hair) and rub it into your hair (not scalp). Leave it for anything up to 10 minutes or more, if you have extremely dry hair. Wash it out and shampoo and condition your hair as per normal. I have to say, the Elasticizer ROCKS! Again, it's not cheap but right now, I'm lovin' my soft and shiny hair. By the way, you'll find the bigger bottles far better value for money.

Live your life to the fullest

Over the past few months, I've had to dish out more condolences than congratulatory messages. It's enough to depress even the most optimistic person. More often than not, these are young individuals who lost their lives before they could spread their wings and explore their full potential.

A few days ago, a childhood friend of mine just sent out a message that her cousin and my former classmate passed away suddenly whilst on vacation. Out of the 38 girls in our class, 2 have passed on and we're not even 40 yet. The saddest thing was I actually caught a glimpse of her while I was having a coffee with my friends but didn't take the time to say hi.

So take a minute to tell your family and friends that you love them.

Thermal Cookware

I'm madly in love with my new La Gourmet Thermal pot. My friend summed it up in two words - eco-friendly. I call it my wonder-pot. I've only just discovered this new approach to cooking recently when Linh showed me a simpler way of making the stock base for pho. A few days later, I saw a similar pot at my sister in law's counter-top.

The thermal cookware is a lifesaver for those who love stew, casserole and soup. I try not to cave in and use bouillon cubes but honestly, making chicken stock from scratch is a pain in the you-know-where. Simply take the internal pot out and place over the stove on medium heat. Cook as per normal and bring the soup/casserole to boil for 10-30 minutes. Place it back into the exterior pot and it'll continue cooking for a couple of hours. Now walk away, check your emails, attend to your kids, go to work and voila, your food's all ready and you don't even need to heat it up. In fact, your delicious stew will stay piping hot for up to 8 hours. You'll save tons in electricity and gas and most importantly, who wants to slave over the kitchen everyday?

There are multitudes of brands out there but I bought mine from Parkson Grand in Malaysia for a grand total of £90.

Bento lunches

A friend of mine gave me the most fantastic parenting advice - Do as I say, not as I do. Little L refused pointblank to eat the school lunch. I decided to join her for school lunch one day to encourage her. While I was berating her for not eating (do as I say), all the kids turned to look at my tray, still chock-full of food (not as I do). I could barely choke down another mouthful of the ghastly fishcake. I struggled to find a sliver of fish in the "fishcake". The peas resembled the color of my face when I suffered from food poisoning after a wonderful meal of lamb curry on the streets on Kuala Lumpur. You know the famous Jamie Oliver school food revolution? He wasn't lying.

So...it was back to moi making her school lunches again. I got a few great ideas from this book. I was bored to death making the same thing day in day out. I can't do craft work nor draw to save my life but Little L seems to think my clumsily arranged Bento is the best thing since sliced bread.

My first attempt. Hmmm....not the best but you get the idea.

 Second attempt....the quail eggs look a little frightening but at least Little L inhaled these in a nanosecond. As for the chick rice ball, I substituted ham with cheese. 

Despite looking a little glassy eyed when my sister in law was giving me tons of tips about the Korean cuisine, a bit of information did trickle in albeit slowly. The Korean sushi is slightly different to the Japanese. They make use of leftovers and add that into the sushi. There's no need to season the rice either as the flavor comes from the cooked vegetables.

This brings back childhood memories. I saw a similar tiffin carrier at my cousin's place in Miri and just had to get one as well. This is a child sized tiffin carrier. Since it's made of stainless steel, I no longer have to worry about chemicals leaking into piping hot food.

I can't resist Pierre Herme's macarons. 

One managed to make it into Litte L's lunch box. Lucky girl!

It's a bargain

Bicester looks a little different these days with the addition of Prada, Superdry, Amanda Wakeley amongst a few other smaller stores. I tend to gravitate towards the French brands with Petit Bateau and Bonpoint being my two favorites. On a lucky day, I may be able to find adult sized tops at Bonpoint. I can't justify forking out £££ for childrenswear when Little L will outgrow her clothes within a year. Admittedly, her entire wardrobe's made up of Petit Bateau, all purchased during the sales.

Little L is allergic to wool so I'm stoked to find a pair of cashmere gloves and scarf for £15 each. The original retail price was £126. Ouch.

Little L refuses to wear jeans or pants for that matter but I can't resist a bargain of £10 for this. I'm sure it'll come in very handy soon especially with the temperature dipping well below 0 Celsius.

I've never spent so little on a set of Juicy Couture tracksuit before. Hoodie was £13 and pants cost a mere £17. I can't believe I've paid up to £140 for these! They're perfect for lounging around - at home. I made a mistake of wearing my marshmallow pink JCs out one time and was ribbed endlessly for an entire year.

What goes with the Hermes Bolide?

A friend who's contemplating about buying a Hermes Bolide asked what I normally wear the bag with. I haven't had a chance to use my new acquisition all that much but this exercise made me realize how versatile it is. These are a combination of outfits which I'd categorize as smart casual, casual and work.

Karen Walker dress, Mango leather jacket, Hermes Ex-Libris shawl and Zara shoes.

3.1 Phillip Lim top, Gap cardigan, Karen Walker skirt and Zara shoes

Comptoir des Cotonniers cardigan and top, Uniqlo jeans and Hermes boots

Petit Bateau cardigan, Banana Republic top, Uniqlo jeans and Stuart Weitzman boots

Acquisition

May I present Ms Mou Bolide? Her measurement's 31cm and like her owner, she has a bad posture with a tendency to slouch. I'm a bit overdue with the introduction as I've had her for a few months now. After a slew of brightly colored Hermes bags, I decided it's high time I get back to basics - black. Above all, Ms Bolide ticks all the boxes. Light enough to carry around without hurting my shoulder and back. Check. A detachable strap long enough to wear across the body. Check. Understated. Check. Timeless. Check.

She's the antithesis of "it" bags. I'd like a classic style that will still look fashionable when I'm in my 60s. The Bolide was originally called Bugatti, named after the French racing car. It was designed by Emile-Maurice Hermes in 1923 and was considered revolutionary as it was the first bag designed with a zip enclosure.

An Orange feast

I'd spent a small fortune on magazines during my trip. My justification is that I was confined in the plane more than 10 hours at a time that I've got to indulge a little in some guilty pleasure. Thank heavens for Longchamp Le Pliages bag because I managed to stuff numerous mags into it. The Malaysian Marie Claire and Style spotlight Hermes in their latest January publication. It seems that Hermes is becoming more and more the objet du désir for many Malaysians now despite the dominance of Louis Vuitton in the country.  Perhaps consumers of designer bags are getting logoed out and prefer exclusivity and more understated goods. Due to the incredibly high luxury goods tax there, Hermes is cheaper in UK, US and Western Europe.

Tuscany & Venice

These photos of Tuscany were taken more than a year ago on our last trip to Italy. Every now and then, I'd flick through the photos again to remind myself of what a spectacular place it is.  We traveled with wonderful friends who were so good with Little L. We had unbelievable food, saw awe-inspiring landscapes and met the most atrocious drivers in the world.

Each time I visit Florence, I make a point to eat at Trattoria Gozzi at Piazza San Lorenzo, 8r, Florence, 50123. It's always packed with locals by lunchtime so try to get there early if you plan to get a seat. They're only open for lunch during the weekdays. I had some of my best and cheapest meals there.  The signboard is nondescript and can be a little hard to find but ask anyone at the market and they'll pinpoint you to the right direction. Another place I paid more than a couple of visits was Osteria I Brincello at Via Nazionale 110 r, 50100 Florence. The food is hearty peasant style but cooked to perfection and very reasonably priced.


Although I've stayed in my fair share of good and bad hotels, I tend to gear towards the unconventional. Give me a domatia, pension or convent anyday. In Florence, we stayed at Casa Santo Nome di Gesù Firenze, a convent right in town. The nuns are delightful to talk to. Don't be put off by some of nuns' gruff exterior because behind all that bluster, lie a heart of gold. Prices for a double start at a very reasonable 60€. 

Montepulciano

Montepulciano

Montepulciano

Siena

Volterra. For those of you who are fans of the Twilight Saga, the Volturri is based loosely on Volterra. However, segments of the film were shot at Montepulciano. By the time we got to Volterra, we only had 2 hours to have a look around. 

Volterra

Siena

Siena

This was taken approximately 7-8 years ago in Venice. At the time, almost two thirds of Piazza San Marco was cordoned off for the filming of Cassanova which meant tens of thousands of tourists were squished into a tiny corner of the square. To make matters worse, the afternoon high tide flooded the entire Piazza so everyone was walking around with wet pants. We had no idea who these actors were nor the movie they were shooting. The security guards glared at me thinking I was a pesky paparazzo. It wasn't till months later, I figured out that the actor was Heath Ledger and the lady standing next to him (not pictured) was Sienna Miller.

Celine Luggage Tote

I'm a ardent Hermes devotee. Ever since I've gotten rid of every Louis Vuitton and Chanel from my closet, I've only ever carried Hermes bags. At any rate, I'm a lazy shopper. Once I've found something I like, I tend to stick to it. Up until this point, I haven't had any cause to cheat until I had the rare opportunity to see a Celine Luggage Mini Tote up close. I walked into Browns on South Molton Lane and my eyes were immediately drawn to the lipstick red Celine Luggage tote.

Photo credit: Styledrops

The delightful SA happily let me fondle the bag. I took the chance to inspect it inside out and boy, was I impressed. The quality of the leather is almost on par with Hermes. I was completely blown away by the attention to fine details such as the leather lining, exquisite double stitching and beautiful finish. At £1150 for the mini tote, it's incredible well priced as compared to Chanel 2.55 (£2195) or a Birkin (prices start at £5030). Too bad they didn't have the colors I wanted but my bank account thanks them for the oversight. I'm still going to keep my eyes peeled for a taupe or anthracite Luggage Tote.......

Photo credit: www.bagku.wordpress.com

Photo credit: Celine

My favorite places in Auckland

I decided to compile a list of my favorite places in Auckland. We'll have to start with food as I seriously can't contemplate doing anything on an empty stomach *grin*

Favorite cafes
I guess you can call me a creature of habit or perhaps, loyal to businesses that provide me with exceptional service. I've been going to Bambina at Ponsonby for years and pretty much stick to my regular order of breakfast salad. It consists of lettuce, rocket leaves, shavings of parmesan cheese, pieces of ham, a poached egg and a slice of toasted ciabatta bread. There's a large communal table right in the middle of the cafe with the latest magazines which I devour along with my meal. Ahhh, perfect day to spend a lazy Saturday.

Or, if I prefer a more substantial meal, I head over to GPK which is a mere 2 minute stroll from Bambina for yummy wood-fired pizzas.

Favorite Yum Cha restaurants
THE place to go for ambiance and the best yum cha in town is either Grand Harbour at the Viaduct or their sister restaurant, Grand Park at Greenlane. I promise you that the yum cha is just as good as what you'll get in Hong Kong (their chefs are from there) and the service is speedy too. However, a word of advice, book in advance or better still, get there by 11am or else you'd better be prepared for a long wait.

Best Fine-Dining Restaurant
The French Cafe. I've written about it here. There's only one word to describe the food. WOW.


Favorite shops
When it comes to shopping, I avoid malls like the plague. The only mall I'm not allergic to is Selfridges where everything is laid out systematically and it's easy to navigate from one department to the next. Don't get me started on Harrods......

I adore catching up with a girlfriend and strolling down Ponsonby Rd to check out the local designers. The food scene is pretty darn good too. Uh oh, I'm back to talking about food. My apologies. You've got the likes of Superette, Karen Walker, Widdess, Natalija Kucija and more. Adorno stocks all the popular international brands such as K Jacques, Phillip Lim, Hanii Y, Velvet by Graham and Spencer etc. Next door, MeiMei used to stock the only Jimmy Choos in town but they've moved to more edgy brands since.

Newmarket is another staunch favorite of mine. No visit to the area is complete without checking out the largest Karen Walker store in Auckland. The service is always terrific. I've been going there for a decade and bought my wedding dress there which was originally an evening dress.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant
The best Vietnamese restaurant which goes by the strangest name I've heard " Try It Out" which I guess it's better than the Flying Horse, Golden Horse, Golden Phoenix or worse, 888. It is located in Otahuhu, not a particularly nice suburb and the decor is rather tatty BUT boy, do they have the best pho and banh mi in town! Their clientele consists of mostly Vietnamese so you know you're in the right place for a decent meal.

Market in Miri

It's funny how these days, there's nothing I'd like to do more than having a nosy around the markets. When I was a young teen, my mom used to make me go to the wet markets with her. Half the time I was holding my nose and trying not to gag, the other was trying to spent steathily navigating through the pathways to avoid all the yucky puddles on the ground.

I managed to persuade my cousins to take me to their local market when I was in Miri. They happily stayed in the car while I set out to explore the place. Needless to say, armed with a camera and poking at the veggies like I've never seen them before, I stood out like a sore thumb. The vegetable sellers are a friendly bunch. Eager to talk and happy to impart their knowledge.


This is called pinang or otherwise known as betel nut. You wrap the nut with the betel leaf (shown in the photo below) to experience a mild stimulant effect akin to drinking a cup of coffee. I haven't tried this before but I used to see Dayak ladies at the Sunday market in Kuching chewing on these.


Betel nut


I can't remember what this is called but the seller told me that you eat the shell.


Jambu fruit


Bamboo. You can cook delicious pulut (glutinous rice) in the bamboo. I've also tried bamboo chicken, a Dayak delicacy.


Broom


Vegetable seller


Pisang Emas (Golden bananas)


My aunt owned a pineapple plantation. Every visit to her house meant gobbling down dozens of her delicious produce.